Nine correctional officers will find out on December 17 whether charges against them will be dropped.

Many were expecting that to happen yesterday, after Chief Provincial Court Judge Pam Goulding recently threw out key medical evidence at the preliminary inquiry.

But instead the Crown asked for more time to work on its case—a request denied Wednesday by the judge.

She then heard arguments from the defence as to why the charges should be dropped, but reserved her decision until mid-December

The nine guards face charges ranging from criminal negligence causing death to manslaughter in connection with the death of 33-year-old Jonathan Henoche.

He died in November 2019 at HMP while awaiting trial on a charge of second-degree murder.

There is a ban on evidence presented at a preliminary inquiry.

Since 2003, eighteen people have died while in the custody of corrections in the province—with 13 of them at HMP or the city lockup.